Thursday, December 20, 2012

I'm excited to announce that I was recently recognized as a
finalist for the Indy Family Foundation's Giving Back Award
Presented by Firestone! I was one of five finalists,
nominated for my work in the diabetes community, who will receive $500 to
donate to the charity of my choice. Congrats to Sarah Fisher Hartman
Racing who won the overall award, announced at the INDYCAR championship
banquet.

Now on to the best part... I will be donating my $500
to Camp John Warvel, an American Diabetes
Association residential camp for children and teens located here in Indiana!
The donation will help fund a child's camp fee for a week of fun with other kids
who also happen to have diabetes. Throughout the past few years, I've visited
several camps for children with diabetes. I've seen first-hand how much it
means for the families to have an outlet for the kids to learn how to manage
their diabetes independently, while giving parents the assurance that they
are being properly taken care of with medical supervision and dietary staff.
And of course, it's summer camp... so there are tons of fun activities for the
kids! Believe me, every time I go to meet the kids, I want to stay!

It's such an honor for me because it comes from people who I
respect--the IndyCar family--and a group of people who work hard to help those
in need within IndyCar. I have to thank Firestone for their commitment to
every aspect of the sport, supporting us on track and off track. I also have to
thank Novo Nordisk for giving me the platform
and resources to have a voice in the diabetes community.

Again, I'm humbled to receive this honor and I look forward
to doing more to give back! Be sure to follow @IndyFamilyFnd on Twitter, and click
here to learn how to make a contribution toward Camp Warvel.